Acceptance
by where the wind blows
Summary: Peter, Edmund, and Lucy went to New Narnia. Their parents went to ‘England’. All went to the place they grew up. Where did Susan go?


**Disclaimer: I do not own Susan nor any of the other Narnian characters. Nor the ideas of Narnia, so I pretty much own nothing… **

**Summary: Peter, Edmund, and Lucy went to New Narnia. Their parents went to 'England'. All went to the place they grew up. Where did Susan go?? **

**I hope you like this… I wrote it while I was sick and could barely speak, so my mind is a bit muddled… excess spelling and grammar! PLEASE REVIEW!!! **

**Acceptance **

The funeral was short, but quite a few people showed up. The children of the deceased (ages 22, 17, and 16) all stood around the grave afterwards tears falling down their faces as their father placed flowers on the grave.

She had been only 43, and her death had been sudden. The disease she had died from was a mystery, the doctors for the life of them could not figure out what had killed Susan Hale.

When the family of Susan had finally left the grave site tears still in their eyes, the cold wind that had been blowing all day changed. From the west direction the wind suddenly altered to the east. The flowers on Susan's grave rustled…

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Susan blinked. She blinked again.

Her eyes fluttered as she strained for them to open.

Above her there was white light, quite a lot of light. But unlike the past few days Susan was not bothered by this light.

Finally managing to get her eyes open Susan stared up. Still not aware of her surroundings Susan became aware of herself. The burning ache that had been ever present in her heart was gone. She felt totally at peace.

Again Susan blinked.

Then she sat up. The first time she had been able to in weeks.

She looked around and for a fourth time blinked, this time in confusion.

She was sitting on grass.

Why was she on the grass?

She turned her head to the right. There the streets of London wound in and out through the tangled maze of buildings. Not a person was seen.

_I must be in a park. _Susan thought to herself looking at the buildings. _I do not recognize this part of London. _

She then turned her head to the left. Her breath caught.

Fields, trees, mountain, streams, rivers, and lakes where all laid before her as if they were painted in a picture. It took Susan maybe a moment to think it over then she was standing gathering her skirts (for she was wearing a long dress) and running as fast as she could.

_Further up… come on Susan you know where to go. Further up and further in… _

She did not know how she knew where to go. But she knew. As she past land marks she knew small tears of joy came pouring out of her eyes. She was finally laughing and crying with joy as she splashed through a stream.

It was then that she noticed what she was wearing. A streaming green dress with golden trim, golden slippers on her feet, and a familiar crown around her head. She also realized that she was not as old as she ought to be. She could not tell you how old she was. One moment she would have said 20 the next maybe 12 or 16.

It did not matter to Susan though, she just kept running. She skirts never snagged on branches and her face never got flushed and she never was out of breath…

Then she came to a hill. So steep that it resembled the slop of a roof but it was easy for Susan, she climbed it without slipping or falling. The green grass beneath her feet showed no sign that she had stepped on it not did is show a sign that it had ever been stepped on.

Then suddenly in front of her where gates. Huge golden gates. Signing like a lighthouse through the fog. Only there was no fog, only Susan who came up to the gate a look on her face as if she was a dying animal who had just found water.

She stood in front of them wondering if this was right. Did she knock? Should she just walk inside? Was this meant for her?

For a fleeting moment, without turning around Susan saw the fields and forest she had just run through and behind it all London sitting there with no gates welcoming her in where her husband sons and daughter where…

But the thought was momentary. She had been waiting for this moment for years and years… wishing, dreaming, praying…

Susan stood for another second waiting for something to happen…

Then she took a step forward and touched the gate.

She was expected to be pushed back, told to not enter, the gates to stay solid and shut.

But they didn't. The one she touched swung open just enough to let her in.

Susan almost turned and looked back, but she stopped herself. Then she walked through the gates.

Have you ever been the last one to enter a party? And when you do everyone stops talking and looks over at you? To Susan this had happened more than once. In England when it had happened she had turned pink and turned away. In Narnia Susan had smiled and waved acting as though nothing was wrong.

This time Susan just stood.

When the gate had opened some of the inhabitants inside did not really notice, after all a few of the other inside often would venture out to visit the other land. However they would usually take the smaller door located to the left of the gates.

When they saw that the gate was open the hundred or so Narnians which stood closest to the gate and who had been chatting amongst themselves, sipping wine, laughing, telling jokes, or just listing became silent.

Susan stood at the entrance of the gate looking over the scene wondering if she belonged here at all. She didn't feel like she did…

One of the faces in the crowd which had seen her came forward. It was a familiar face to Susan the rabbit had been the cook during her time as Queen.

When the rabbit came forward her eyes forward and her eyes wide Susan bowed her head in a most un-queenly manor.

Mrs. Thumpers came forward to Susan and looked in the eyes. Susan felt the tears starting again.

The creature smiled and held out its paw inviting Susan in.

Susan stood in the doorway for a half a moment a wild argument in her head, on side pushing her forward the other holding her back. She side pushing won, Susan even stumbled through gates as though she had been pushed. Still no one around made a sound. And now because the others had been so quite most of the garden seemed to have fallen into silence.

Mrs. Thumpers nodded her head to the back of the garden, Susan nodded and began to walk.

Was this a test? Was she worthy to enter? Susan had never in her life felt so nervous.

As she walked through the Narnians she saw some familiar faces. Most of them looked at her in shock and some with clear joy, others with wonder. None seemed mad that she was there, but Susan still felt out of place.

The further back into the garden she went the more faces she recognized.

But they were not the faces that she desperately needed to see.

When she reached the center of the garden she saw to empty thrones all with animals surrounding it.

It was then she noticed that all around the walls of the garden there where thrones. All seemed to be for a king of Queen of the time they had ruled. Susan felt a twist in her stomach at the thought of that.

She kept walking; most of the animals stopped their conversations as she passed watching her in awe.

It was when she reached the back of the garden that she saw most of the humans.

The first one she recognized was Corin. Susan had always been close to the Archenland prince and when she saw him he felt her heart flip over. Corin, upon seeing let his mouth fall open, he had been talking to a large bear and he stopped when he saw Susan.

Then he smiled his face alighting with joy. But he did not approach her letting out a huge smile he pointed to a group of people twelve feet away.

Susan turned her head pounding, her throat tight.

She could see the face of Caspian talking to four others. At the sight of Caspian Susan felt more tears come into her eyes and her face paled slightly. The three with her back to her did not see her as she stood behind the youngest.

The blonde girl (or was she a woman?) had yet to notice Susan standing behind her. Her brothers where laughing at something she had said. The four had not realized they were the only ones still talking.

Caspian was the first to notice as he was facing Susan. He looked up for a second over the head of the dark haired boy. Then he stopped just as he was about to say something. His mouth still open slightly he started at Susan at a loss for worlds.

"Caspian?" An achingly familiar voice pinched Susan's heart as the fair haired girl looked at her friend.

"What in Narnia-" began the blonde haired boy looked over his brother's head at the still Narnians. But he was interrupted by his brother's unkingly squeak of surprise.

Then the three all turned to look at Susan.

They look just like Susan remembered when they had gone to Narnia for the first time, when they had defeated the Telmarines, when they had gone to school, when they had said goodbye…

Susan looked at them smiling through her tears.

They did not even give her time to speak, not even utter a sound. In fact it was like they had flown over to her for suddenly Susan was being hugged.

"SUSAN!"

Came from her younger siblings as they embraced her. "Sue!" Came from the elder at his strong arms hugged her.

Susan stood still for a moment not registering what was happening. Then she let out a strangled cry and embraced them back.

The hug could have lasted forever. Susan was kissing her sisters forehead and her brother's cheeks. As tears of pure joy washed down all their faces.

And then they all sat back to look at one another. It was almost hungry looks. Susan taking in every feature of her siblings. And them taking her in.

Finally the eldest said "Took you long enough Sue," While the youngest said "We missed you SO much" And the third exclaimed "Gosh Sis I never thought I would see you cry with joy!"

Susan still letting the tears still could not speak and when she did it was only two words "Forgive me."

All the sibling mouths opened to say "Of course we forgive you Susan we love you." But they never got a chance for behind them he came.

"You are forgiven my daughter; do not think of it again."

Susan looked up into Aslan's face and chanted "Thank you, thank you, thank you…"

Each one for something different. "Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for letting me come. Thank you for reuniting me with Peter, Edmund, and Lucy… Thank you."

Then she embraced Aslan tears still pouring from her face.

And turning back she was grabbed by Lucy, her armed linked with Edmund and Peters arm thrown over her shoulder, while she was hugged and kissed by them all. Caspian, Corin, Jill, Bree, Tumnus, Mrs. Thumper, Glenstorm, Repicheep, Eustace, Arivis, and the so many others…

Susan was soon laughing and dancing with her sister, brothers, and friends.

Queen Susan was home

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But Susan had two homes. As did her siblings and cousins. They would go back sometimes to see them all and soon Susan's other family joined her. They could not come to the garden, it was not theirs. But she stayed with them and with her siblings. Her children stayed with their children, and her husband with his mother and she came and went to see her parents as well.

The story does not end there. It never does end. We just must assume that it went happily ever after.

For how can we not? There is not sadness where sadness cannot exist.

Susan was the last one home to Narnia. But she was the first brave enough to enter Narnia alone…

**The End**

**Sooo what did you think?? Good, bad, awful, wonderful?? Tell me and REVIEW!!! **


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